Speeches

Good morning, and I want to thank the Center for Global Policy Solutions and Insight, in conjunction with the CBC, CHC, and CAPAC, for organizing this important discussion about the challenges of access to economic opportunity and the growing wealth gap for Americans of color.

“Good morning. I want to thank Third Way for hosting, and I want to thank all of you for this opportunity to address one of the most compelling challenges our generation faces – achieving a sustainable long-term budget outlook.

“On behalf of Leader Pelosi, Assistant Leader Clyburn, and myself, I am honored to join in celebrating 104 years of NAACP’s leadership in moving our country closer to its founding principles – that all of us are created equal and endowed by our creator with the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

“Thank you, Chairman Grijalva and Chairman Ellison, for holding this hearing about the difficulties faced by those working under federal contracts earning at or less than minimum wage at a time when the cost of living is rising.

“It is an honor to join you to mark Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with distinguished Members of Congress from America’s diverse Asian and Pacific Islander communities who are working hard and making a real difference here in Washington.

"'Made in America' has been – and still is, in many respects – a label envied throughout the world. Our factories continue to produce quality products at affordable prices – products that make the world run. We are still the world’s leading manufacturing nation..

"Well I agree with the Leader and with Chairman Becerra – the President was optimistic, the President was positive, the President was obviously pleased with the meetings that he’s had both with the House Republicans and the Senate Republicans, as well as Senate Democrats and now House Democrats.

“I am honored to be here to mark this day with you and usher in another Congress where I know the Congressional Black Caucus will have a significant and positive impact. For over forty years, the CBC has been a moral voice in the democratic caucus as well as the conscience of the Congress. By promoting an agenda of middle-class opportunities for traditionally under-represented communities that have historically had to contend with poverty, discrimination, and disenfranchisement, the CBC is making sure that the promise of the American dream is accessible to all our people.

“With millions still out of work and families struggling to make ends meet, Republicans are responding by voting to take away critical health care protections. Polls show a clear majority of Americans want Congress to move on from the health care issue and spend time focusing on creating jobs and moving our economic recovery forward.

“With millions of Americans still out of work through no fault of their own, we must approach job-creation with the seriousness and urgency this challenge deserves. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership has chosen instead to hold a vote repealing health reform again – a vote the House has already held thirty times this Congress.

As he prepared to take office, President Kennedy spoke to a nation troubled by anxiety over America’s leadership in the world and uncertainty over whether future Americans would inherit a strong and secure economy.

“When crisis struck our financial system in 2008, it wasn’t because there was too much regulation. For years, the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress took the referees off the field when it came to Wall Street.

Right now, in this room, many of you are busy typing away on your smartphones, broadcasting snippets of information to the remotest corners of our world. Texting, tweeting, email – all have become ubiquitous tools in the transfer of information and the latest step in the march of innovation. We live at an exciting moment when we can feel the pulse of change literally in our fingertips.

Israel is truly the product of a dream fulfilled. I have been personally enriched each of the twelve times I have visited Israel. The most recent was last summer, when I brought twenty-six Members of Congress with me. Now that I’ve been there twelve times, I guess you could say the next visit will be my ‘bar mitzvah’ trip.

Our number one priority must continue to be creating jobs and setting our economy back on a course toward sustainable growth that creates opportunities for our middle class. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House Budget Committee earlier this month that growth must take precedence over deficit reduction. I agree. However, putting our fiscal house in order by reining in deficits and getting our debt under control is a critical part of ensuring sustainable economic growth, and so it is essential for us to have a plan to reduce deficits once the economy has further recovered.

Let me suggest at the outset that talking about jobs is talking about debt. The only way to successfully deal with our debt is to create jobs and economic growth in America. After seven months there has not been a single jobs bill--that is the negligent record of the Republicans.

If the United States fails to pay the bills it has incurred, it ‘would be a financial disaster not only for our country, but for the world economy.’ Those are the words of Speaker Boehner in January...

Sigmund Livingston, the founder of the Anti-Defamation League, reflected that anti-Semitism is ‘an expression of hatred the seeds of which were planted in the days of childhood, when the mind is subtly conditioned for the reception of libels and fictions.’ He understood that anti-Semitism feeds on ignorance and can take root very early in life. And he created the Anti-Defamation League because he believed in the power of truth, boldly and unapologetically stated, to overcome that ignorance. I believe that that mission has taken on a special importance at this moment in history.

One year ago, Democrats took bold action to pass the Affordable Care Act and the Education Reconciliation bill. Today, these laws are putting patients—not insurance companies-- back in control of their health care. And American families and students are now benefitting from new protections and greater freedoms.

Democrats’ overwhelming priority in the 112th Congress is job creation. In the last Congress, we took important steps to pull our country back from the brink of a depression and create as many as 2 million jobs—but we also know that millions of Americans remain out of work. So it’s surprising and disappointing that, almost three months into this new Congress, Republicans have failed to even propose a single job-creating bill. The people we represent deserve better.

I want to thank you for all of your hard work to strengthen local communities across our country. More than 2,000 counties and 15,000 municipalities count on your work. And as those communities work to make themselves better places to live, to start a business, to get an education, and to raise a family, they are counting on your expertise and your advocacy.

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On Tuesday, The House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business and recess immediately. The House will reconvene at approximately 10:45 a.m. for the purpose of receiving, in a Joint Meeting of Congress, His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel.